In today's culture, many individuals are dissatisfied with the appearance of their lips, especially as they age, and, therefore, they seek out devices and methods to increase the fullness of their lips. However, many of these devices and methods are relatively ineffective, invasive, or potentially dangerous.
For example, some cosmetics or surgeries/procedures/treatments are designed to add chemicals to the outside of an individual's lips to irritate them or to the inside of an individual's lips to directly increase their size. This irritation can cause the body to respond by increasing blood flow to the lips, thereby plumping them. However, cosmetics and some treatments can cause an uncomfortable stinging sensation in an individual's lips. Additionally, they can cause dryness and scaling of the skin on which the cosmetic or procedure is applied. Further, surgeries and/or procedures generally involve injection of a product, and are, therefore, invasive and expensive. Lastly, the use of chemicals or injected products leads to the possibility that a user can have an allergic reaction to the chemical or product.
Instead of using chemicals or products, some mechanical devices and methods exist that plump lips using suction power. Similar to cosmetics and procedures, these mechanical devices can increase blood flow to the lips. However, instead of using chemicals or injections, these devices use mechanical power to impose negative pressure on the lips. Typical mechanical devices are either ineffectual or, alternatively, injurious to an individual's mouth. Therefore, a lip-plumping device is desired that is effective and safe.